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Ankylosaurus
Ankylosaurus ''("fused lizard") was a genus of armored herbivorous dinosaur. Its fossils have been found in geological formations dating to the very end of the Cretaceous, about 68–66 million years ago, in western North America, making it among the last of the non-avian dinosaurs. InGen cloned the Ankylosaurus magniventris, the only known species in the genus,'' for exhibition in their dinosaur theme parks using amber. Like the original species from the Cretaceous, InGen's ''Ankylosaurus was built like a living tank, with extremely thick, bony plates of armor on every part of its body, even the eyelids. Its tail also had a second function; it could act as a deadly club which bludgeoned would-be attackers. The defenses of the Ankylosaurus were so daunting that even a larger predator like the Tyrannosaurus ''would think twice before tackling one. History InGen possessed approximately 91% of the genome of ''Ankylosaurus by 1993. The creature was intended as an eventual attraction at the forthcoming Jurassic Park Europe. However, the genome had not been completed by the time the Isla Nublar Incident occurred, and InGen's subsequent financial troubles prevented any progress from being made towards engineering the species. However, in the wake of the San Diego Incident in 1997, InGen was bought by Masrani Global. Ankylosaurus was then successfully recreated by InGen personnel on the orders of Masrani Global in the InGen compound on Isla Sorna in 1999, after the passing of the Gene Guard Act, alongside specimens of Corythosaurus, Ceratosaurus, and a single Spinosaurus. The Ankylosaurs were parented and fed in captivity until InGen abandoned the lab and released them into the wild alongside the other illegally-bred dinosaurs. Being created illegally and against the knowledge of InGen or Masrani higher-ups, the Ankylosaurus and the other newly-cloned dinosaurs were not bred to include the lysine deficiency that affected the original dinosaurs. The species proved to be quite successful, and was known to have resided in the jungles of the western interior. in 2001.|left]] During the 2001 Isla Sorna Incident, Paul Kirby, Amanda Kirby, and Billy Brennan hid in a tree while fleeing a pack of pursuing Velociraptors. The trio spent several hours trapped in the tree, and witnessed a group of grazing Ankylosaurs pass them by. Later, Alan Grant and the Kirby family floated down Site B's river, and passed by a meadow where another large group of Ankylosaurus were dwelling, alongside other large herbivores. The existence of the Ankylosaurus, not present on InGen's list, along with the other illegally-cloned species encountered by the group, was later covered up by bribed officials. Physiology Description Ankylosaurus is a genus of heavily armored quadrupeds whose squat build and club-like tail is well-known by dinosaur enthusiasts. Its name means "fused lizard". Its heavily armored back plates protect it from almost any attack from above, and its club tail offers an effective defense. The Ankylosaurus cloned by InGen were based off of the species Ankylosaurus magniventris, the only known species in the Ankylosaurus genus. The clones had a dark tan underbelly with bright red patches on the eyes. They also had faded stripes of purple on their bodies and their armored plating was grey and black. Ankylosaurus.]]The clones exhibited several traits which their original counterparts did not, such as sharp spikes which protruded from the sides of their body, a more flexible tail and differently-shaped club, and broader facial horns. As was typical of many of the larger herbivores cloned by InGen, the cloned Ankylosaurus was larger on-average than the original species; while the original Ankylosaurus from the Cretaceous was around 5-6 feet tall and 20-26 feet long, the clones reached heights of up to 9 feet tall and 28 feet long. Discovery The first identified Ankylosaurus fossil was discovered in 1906 in the Hell Creek Formation, Montana. There was a controversy at the time as to whether this was a new genus with so few bones available. The only known club-tail specimen was found in 1910 by an expedition to the Scollard Formation in Alberta, Canada. Paleoecology The fossil record indicates that Ankylosaurus favored the uplands of the formations where specimens have been recovered. These regions were subtropical or temperate, with likely monsoonal climate. There is very little fossil material from this dinosaur - it was apparently the last and largest of this family of armored dinosaurs. It walked fairly upright on all four legs, carrying its tail off the ground. It is theorized that it would drop to the ground when attacked to use its armor as a shield to cover its legs and underbelly.Category:Dinosaurs Category:Ankylosauridae Category:Herbivores Category:Jurassic Park species Category:Cretaceous species Category:North American species Category:Isla Sorna species